Abstract □ 73

Introduction: Infectious agents and inflammatory mediators response of the infants might contribute to a great deal to SIDS. Material and methods: The potential role of microbiological agents was investigated in 14 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/SIDS/cases and 9 non-SIDS cases died in Budapest between September of 1996 and October of 1998. Autopsy, histological examinations and microbiological tests were performed on samples of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and pharyngeal and bronchial samples from infants under six months died suddenly without previous diseases. Tests on nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of 100 healthy infants were also tested. Results: The outcome of isolation of toxin producing Staphylococcus aureus-, Enterobacteriaceae- and Candida albicans strains in large number or in more samples from one infant confirmed the multifactoral pathomechanism of SIDS. The prevalence, the enterotoxin A,B,C,D and TSS toxin producing activity of S. aureus strains isolated from SIDS cases and healthy infant's nasopharynx were compared. In one SIDS case Parainfluenza Type 2 virus antigen was detected. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the microbiological agents and their toxin producing activity have an important role in the pathomechanism of SIDS.

Supported by SOROS Foundation